


the call

by ebonynightwriter



Series: Terraqua Week 2019 [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Festivals, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Kingdom of Corona, Land of Departure, Late Night Conversations, Phone Calls & Telephones, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Record Keeping, Terraqua Week (Kingdom Hearts), Terraqua Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 06:08:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20652446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ebonynightwriter/pseuds/ebonynightwriter
Summary: While working late one lonely night, Aqua receives a phone call.





	the call

**Author's Note:**

> -.-
> 
> **[terraqua week (2019) // day 1](http://ebonynightwriter.tumblr.com/tagged/mine:%20terraqua%20week%202019)** · #gummiphone
> 
> -.-

The duty of a Master was never done.

Aqua learns this the hard way. Even after all the work it took to restore the Land of Departure, there was always someone in need of assistance, always something not working the way it was supposed to. And whether it was scouting the worlds for remnants of darkness or guiding the acolytes who lived in the land, there was _always_ something to record. Aqua had tried to keep up with the task of record-keeping in the same way Master Eraqus had, but there were some nights she felt three months behind.

This was one of those nights.

Seated at her desk overlooking the entrance grounds, Aqua puts her ink to the paper, archiving everything that was taking place with the Keyblade wielders on-hand. Lea, Roxas and Xion were taking check of the darkness at Maleficent's Castle. Accompanied by Donald and Goofy, Terra and Ven were attending a festival of light in the Kingdom of Corona. Riku and Kairi were headed to Disney Castle to speak with King Mickey.

“_...and Master Aqua put in her notice at the end of the day”_, she sarcastically scribbles. Then she sighs, scrapping it out in a thick black line.

She leans back in her chair as the ink on the page dries, eyes resting on the tall ceiling as she wished, half-heartedly, for her own Jiminy Cricket (surely they could request his service every once in a while?) After a moment, she sits up and turns to a new sheet of paper. She thinks for a moment, pen poised above the parchment.

Then, she writes:

“_The search for Sora continues...”_

The sound of the jingle going off in the room freezes her hand. In the corner of the desk, the gummi-phone shines brightly, though it takes Aqua a moment to break from her thoughts. In the haze of writing, she'd forgotten entirely about the phone. Smoothing the paper, out on the desk's surface, she picks the device up and presses down on the flashing icon in the center of the screen. It changes to the outer walls of a castle, looking high above a town, and someone at the center – who she recognizes instantly. Though it didn't help explain why he would be calling.

Ven smiles at her from the other side of the screen, lifting his hand in a fast wave. “Hey, Aqua!”

“Ven, where are you?” she asks, tilting her head around the sides of the phone. “Is something wrong?”

He shakes his head.

“No, no!” he says, shaking his head. He _hmm's _at the screen, tilting his head toward the sky as he walks around, the castle spinning in the background. He reaches the edge of a stone railing and hops on it, feet dangling over the side. He holds the phone at his knees, Aqua can see the flags of the castle blowing on the towers behind him. “Things are just going kinda slow here, so I thought I'd see how you were doing.”

She leans forward in the chair, placing a hand to her temple.

“You know we're not supposed to use the gummi-phones on the princesses worlds,” she says. “What if someone sees you?”

“Oh, come one, Aqua,” Ven says. “Sora used his on the worlds he visited and never bothered anyone. Besides, Eugene and Rapunzel already know about it!”

Closing her eyes for a moment, she sighs. Though it was against Master Eraqus' wishes, she couldn't help but smile hearing the eagerness in his voice.

“Alright,” she says, looking at the screen again. “But try not to do it too much.”

Ven grins, giving her a thumbs-up. “Deal!”

She smiles in response, sitting against the chair's back.

“So,” Aqua says, resting her arms on the desk. “Tell me what you've been up to.”

“There's not really much to tell,” Ven says, scratching his face. “Things have been pretty quiet around here so far, everyone's getting ready for the festival – oh! Rapunzel was showing us around, and she got Terra to eat a cupcake!”

Aqua sits up.

“A cupcake?” she asks. “An actual cupcake? A sweet one?”

“Yeah!” Ven says, his grin spreading ear-to-ear. “Frosting and everything!”

Tilting her head, Aqua raises a brow. “And how did she manage that?”

“Well...” Ven looks around, then leans into phone. “She may have shoved it into his mouth as he turned her way...”

A chuckle builds in her throat. “I can't imagine that went well!”

“Yeah, he was kinda mad,” Ven says. “But he didn't let Rapunzel see.”

“Good,” she says. “You shouldn't upset a Princess on her birthday.”

Ven nods. “Right!”

“Ven,” a voice says from off-screen. “There you are.”

Ven's face falls flat, and the camera shakes as he twists around the rail's side. A smile slowly returns to his face as he glances back at the phone, turning the screen away from him just as Terra stops in front of him.

“Hey, Terra,” he says, holding the camera steady. “We were just talking about you.”

Terra's brow pinches in confusion.

“Huh?” he asks. “What are you– Oh. Hey, Aqua.”

She smiles in return.

“Hey—”

Donald appears in the distance behind Terra.

“Ven, come on!!” Donald calls, his words just recognizable through the phone speakers. “We need help!”

Ven taps his forehead.

“Oh, right! I forgot—!” he says. “I told Rapunzel I'd help her with the cake!”

The screen blurs as Ven jumps from the railing. Breaking into a near-sprint, he passes the phone into Terra's hands as he races by. Terra fumbles with the sudden exchange, almost dropping the device on the stone ground.

“H-hey!” he calls, but Ven is already halfway inside the castle. Terra sighs as he disappears, then turns his head toward the sky. With the edges shadowed by his fingers, Aqua watches him through the screen, noting the serious crease to his brow. It holds against his skin, lingering as he looks toward the fading horizon. The sight of it made her a little weary. She had seen this somber look more and more lately, and she wonders where the boy she'd known from her childhood had gone – the one who's gentle cheer and determination had forged the way for others.

_You're one to talk_, she thinks, pushing the words aside. It would do none of them good to dwell on the past – she had to look forward. She focuses herself, then looks back to the screen.

“Terra.”

“Oh,” he says, lifting the phone. “Sorry, Aqua.”

She smiles, head leaning to the side. “Long day?”

Terra looks to the ground, shifting on his feet.

“Yeah, kind of,” he says, setting his back on the railing. “How are things there?”

“It's quiet,” she replies. “I'm just finishing up the records for the day.”

“Write anything interesting?”

Aqua shakes. “Just the usual,” she says. “But someone has to do it. Though I can't imagine how Master Eraqus kept up with it for all those years.”

“He probably had more things to write about,” Terra says. “Teaching the three of us.”

She smiles, thinking back to those times.

“Kairi and Riku came by earlier,” she says. “They were headed to Disney Castle to talk with Mickey.”

Terra's brow creases for a second time.

“I think I can guess what about,” he says. Aqua's eyes lowers to the floor. She knew the answer as well, and although she had avoided discussing it while Kairi and Riku were there, it was written over both their faces.

Closing his eyes, Terra breathes out.

“Aqua...”

“Terra–!” Ven calls. “It's starting! Hurry up!”

Terra stops, words caught in his throat. Then, he smiles, looking fondly toward Ven.

“Coming!” he calls, lifting his hand. Carrying the phone at his side, he makes his way across the balcony.

“Terra, wait!” Aqua says, trying to get his attention. “The phone is—”

“I know,” Terra replies, looking at the screen. “Just give me a second.”

Terra joins Rapunzel and the others, being careful to hide the phone's bright light from view. Thankfully, everyone's focus was on a large cake placed on the center of the balcony, surrounded by unlit lanterns. Aqua watches Rapunzel bound with anticipation as Ven, Donald and Goofy go around the cake, lighting the lanterns with long wooden sticks. They lift into the air one-by-one, and Rapunzel runs at full-speed to the balcony's edge, pulling Eugene along with her.

The rest of the town lights their own lanterns then, and Terra turns the phone toward the streets as they turn into a sea of orange. The scene was blurred and distorted by the camera – but it was still an amazing sight.

Aqua smiles, placing a hand on her chest.

The screen shifts again as Ven takes the phone, catching Terra's _'don't show' _glance as he brings a finger to his lips. Ven nods in response, taking a place beside Terra to block the phone from view. The phone tilts upward, and she can see the lights raising to the night sky – with Ven and Terra framing the screen.

“We'll come together next year,” Terra says, glancing down at the screen. “Then you can see it for yourself.”

Taking a deep breath, Aqua nods. The three of them keep looking forward, on and into the sky filled with makeshift stars. Heart swelling in her chest, she thinks of their friends – even the ones who were no longer there.

Her voice is a whisper.

“_All_ of us.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've written a few KH stories & drabbles in the past, but this marks my first published Kingdom Hearts fic! Hope you enjoyed the read!


End file.
